Track-relay for block-signal systems.



J. J. RUDDICK.

TRACK RELAY FOR BLOCK SIGNAL SYSTEMS. APPLICATION FILED DEC. 26. 1913.

1,174,450., Patented Ma1'.7,1916.

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v 37 '32 as f wzw 4s %L 4 Inventor. John J.RuddicK wamwam THE COLUMBIAPLANOORAPH cm, WASHINGTON. D- C.

' the signaling circuit which JOHN J. RUDDICK, 0F

NEWTON, MASSACHUSETTS,

ASSIGNOR TO- UNITED STATES ELECTRIC SIGNAL COMPANY, OF BOSTON,MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS.

TRACK-RELAY FOR BLOCK-SIGNAL SYSTEMS.

ivaaso.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. '7, 1916.

Application filed. December 26, 1913. Serial No. 808,653.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that 1, JOHN J. RUDDIOK, acitizen of the United States, residing at Newton, county of MiddleseX,State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Track-Relays forBlock-Signal Systems, of which the following description, in connectionwith the accompanying drawing, is a specification, like characters onthe drawing representing like parts.

This invention relates to block signal systems of that type wherein eachblock of the track is provided with two insulated rail sections, and atrack relay is rendered operative when the car or train runs onto theseinsulated sections for setting or restoring the signal. In signalsystems of this type it is usual to provide two insulated rail sectionsat each end of the block, one of which is connected to thesignal-setting magnet of the track relay, and the other of which isconnected to the signal-restoring magnet of the track relay, theconstruction being such that normally both magnets are deenergized orinactive, but as soon as a car runs onto either insulated rail sectionthe corresponding magnet will be energized thereby to close it controls.Track relays of this type have heretofore been so constructed that whenthe car or train passes onto the first insulated rail section inentering a block, the magnet which is thus energized will operate toclose the signal-setting circuit, thus setting the signal, the otherinsulated rail section being the one which is used for restoring thesignal. With this arrangement the signal-setting insulated rail sectionsare so placed relative to the signal-restoring insulated rail sectionthat in entering the block from either end the car will always pass ontothe signal-setting in sulated rail section first and then pass onto thesignal-restoring insulated rail section, while in leaving the block theoperation is thereverse, that is, the car or train will always pass ontothe signal-restoring insulated rail section before it passes onto thesignal-setting insulated rail section.

In order to prevent the signals from being restored when the car ortrain entering the block passes from the signal-setting insulated railsection onto the signal-restoring insulated rail section, it iscustomary to provide some non-interfering mechanism which will renderthe signal-restoring magnet inoperative whenever it, is actuatedimmediately subsequent to the signal-setting magnet of the track relay.Itv sometimes happens, however, that this non-interfering mechanism doesnot work accurately, in which case the above described arrangement oftrack relay would cause the signal to be restored again by a car ortrain entering the block when said car or train passed ofi' from thesignal-setting insulated rail section and onto the signal-restoringinsulated rail section. Moreover, with the above-described con structionif a car runs by a signal set against it and enters the block and thenbacks out of the block, the signal may be restored when in fact thisshould not be done because the block is already occupied by another car.The present invention aims to provide a novel form of track relay forblock'signal systems of this type which is so constructed that thesignal will not be set until the car or train entering the block haspassed over the first insulated rail section and onto the secondinsulated rail section and has cleared itself from the first section,and the signal will not be restored until the carin leaving the blockhas passed over the first rail section onto the second rail section andhas completely cleared said first rail section. Furthermore, theconstruction is such that if a car entering the block runs over and offfrom the first insulated rail section onto the second thereby settingthe signal and then comes to rest and subsequently backs out of theblock, the passage of the car from said second insulated rail sectiononto the first will cause the signal to be restored.

In order to give a clear understanding of the invention 1 haveillustrated in the drawings a selected embodiment thereof which will nowhe described, and the novel features of the invention will then bepointed out in the appended claims.

Figure l of the drawings shows a track relay embodying the invention;Figs. 2, 3

and 4- show different positions of the con-' trolling member which willbe more fully hereinafter described.

I have shown at 1 a portion of a track which may be either a steamrailway'track or an electric railway track, and one rail of which isshown as provided with two insulated rail-sections 2 and 3.

It is assumed that the section of track illustrated in the drawing is atone end of the block in a block signal system, and that at the other endof the blocl: there will also be two insulated rail sectionscorresponding to those shown in Fig. 1. I have not, however, deemed itnecessary to illustrate the full length of the block as the generaloperation of the block signal system of this nature will be wellunderstood by those skilledin the art.

Associated with each insulated rail section is a magnet of a track relayby which the signals of the block signal system are set and restored,these magnets being designated by 4 and respectively. The magnets hereinshown are differentially wound and are operated in a manner similar tothat shown in my Patent 1029067 dated cluly 29, 1913. These magnets maybe supplied with current from any suitable source of current supply andwhere the invention is applied to an electric railway the current forenergizing the magnets will naturally be taken from the trolley wire orfeed conductor 6, as saown in the drawings.

7 indicates a wire or circuit leading from the feed conductor to themagnet l. This magnet is wound witi the two windings 8 and 9 which areoppositely wound and are in series,the winding 9 being connected by awire 10 with the ground, which may be conveniently done by connectingthe wire 10 to the track 1. The magnet 5 is also provided with the twowindings 11 and 12 which are connected in series but are oppositelywound, the winding 11 being con nected by the wire 13 with the feedconductor 6, and the winding 12- being connected to the ground or track1 through the wire 14:. With this arrangement there will be currentnormally flowing through both magnets 1 and 5, but as each magnet hastwo opposite windings thereon it will be nor mally deenergized. Thewinding 8 of the magnet 1 is connected to the insulated rail section 2by a wire or connection 15, and the winding 11 of the magnet 5 issimilarly connected to the insulated rail section 3 by wire orconnection 16. Under normal conditions no current will flow in theconnections 15, 16 because they lead to insulated rail sections 2 and 3,but whenever a car or train passes onto either insulated rail sec tion,then a current will be established through the shunt circuit or 16, asthe case may be, thus cutting out one of the windings of thecorresponding magnet and causing the magnet to be energized. A trackrelay having this differential winding is described and claimed in myaforesaid Patent 1069027.

The magnet 4: is provided with an armature 17 which is pivoted at 18 andhas rigid therewith an arm 19 carrying a contact 20 adaptedto bridge twocontacts 22 in the signal-restoring circuit 23. Similarly, the magnet 5has an armature 25L pivoted at and has rigid therewith an arm 26 whichcarries a contact 27 adapted to bridge two contacts 28 in thenormally-open signal-setting circuit 29. The signal-setting circuit 29and signal-restoring circuit 23 may receive current fom any suitablesource of supply and are herein shown as being connected to the trolleywire or feed conductor 6 by a connection 30.

The important feature of my invention resides in providing a novelconstruction whereby assuming that the track relay herein illustrated isat the left-hand end of the block and a. train is entering the bloclr inthe direction of the arrow a, the signalrestoring magnet a is preventedfrom being operated when the car passes onto the insulated rail sectionand when the car has passed clear of said insulated rail section 2 andonto the insulated rail section the magnet 5 will be operative to closethe s gnal-setting circuit thereby to set the signals in the block.Further, if the car which has thus passed into the block to set thesignals should come to rest before it clears the insu lated rail section3 and should then back out of the block across the insulated railsection 2, the passage of the car onto the insulated rail section 2 willcause the signal restoring magnet 4 to be operative thereby to restorethe signals. The mechanism herein shown whereby these results areaccomplished comprises a controlling member pivoted at 32 and provided.with two arms or wings 33, 34, each provided in its periph ery or edgewith three notches 54C, 35 and 36, the middle notch 35 on each winghaving less depth than the notches 54c, 36. Each armature. 17, has rigidtherewith an arm which cooperates with the controlling member 31, saidarms being designated 37 and 38, respectively. The controlling member isyieldingly held in its central. position by any suitable means whichwill permit it to swing in either direction. As herein shown. saidcontrolling member has rigid therewith an arm 39 provided with a pin 40in its end wiich is received between two centering levers 11 that arepivoted at 42 to a stand 43 and are cldingly connected by a s I 42-4,the upper end 45 of the stand serving to limit the movement of thecentering inenr bers toward each other. The arms 37. will preferablycarry rollers 46 at their lower ends which are adapted to engage in thenotches of the controlling member.

Fig. 1 shows the parts in their normal position when both magnets 4i and5 are inactive, and it will be noted that the rollers 46 stand justbelow the points 4-? between the notches 54 and 35.

Assuming now'that a car is entering the passage block in the directionof the arrow at and passes onto the insulated rail section 2, the of thecar onto said insulated rail section 2 will cause the magnet 4 to beenergized and the attraction of the armature 17 of the magnet will swingthe arm 37 toward the controlling member 31 and will raise the contact20 toward the contacts 22. This movement of the armature carries the arm37 toward the controlling member 31, and as the roller 46 is just belowthe point 47 the engagement of the roller with the inclined surface ofthe notch 35 will turn the controlling member 31 into the position shownin Fig. 2, the roller 46 entering the notch 35 to the bottom thereof.The depth of this notch is such as to bring the arms 37 and 19 to restbefore the contact 20 engages the contacts 22. The dotted line 48designates the position of the arm 19' and contact 20 corresponding tothe position of the arm 37 shown in Fig. 2. Although the magnet 4 isenergized when a car or train passes onto the insulated rail section 2,yet said magnet is not operative to close the signal-restoring circuitbecause of the abovedescribed operation of the controlling member 31.When the car passes onto the insulated rail section 3 the magnet 5 willbe energized and the arm 38 thereof will swing toward the controllingmember. The relation of the notches in the two wings 33 and 34 of thecontrolling member is such that when the parts are in the position shownin Fig. 2 the apex or point 47 of the wing 34 is just below the roller46 of the arm 38, and as a result, when the magnet 5 is energized by thepassage of a car onto the insulated rail section 3 the arm 38 will swingagainst the inclined surface forming part of the notch 54 on the wing34. However, so long as the car or train is on both insulated railsections 2 and 3 both magnets are energized and the controlling member31 will have no movement, but as soon as the car or train clears theinsulated rail section 2, then the magnet 4 becomes inactive again andthe energized magnet 5 acting through the arm 38 serves to turn thecontrolling member 31 into the position shown in Fig. 3, the roller 46moving to the bottom of the notch 54 in the wing 34. The notch 54 issufficiently deep so as to allow the arms 38, 26 to have a suiiicientmovement to close the contact 27 onto the contacts 28, thereby closingthe signal-setting circuit 29 and causing the signals at each end of theblock to be displayed.

lVhen the car passes completely into the block and ofi fro-m theinsulated rail section 3, then the magnet 5 becomes deenergized and thespring 44 returns the controlling member to its normal position. It willthus be seen that it is necessary for the car or train to traverseacross the signal-restoring insulated rail section 2 and onto thesignal-setting insulated rail section 3 before the signal will be set,and that means are provided for preventing the signal-restoringmechanism from being operated when the car is on the signal-restoringinsulated rail section. Similarly when a car is leaving the block in thedirection of the arrow 22, the passage of the car onto the insulatedrail section 3 will energize the signal-setting magnet 5, but thecontrolling member 31 will operate to prevent said magnet from beingoperative to close the signal-setting circuit 29, while when the carclears the insulated rail section 3 and passes completely onto theinsulated rail section 2, then the signal-restoring magnet 4 will becomeoperative to close the signal-restoring circuit 23, the controllingmember 31 operating as above described.

My invention isalso so'arranged that if a car entering the block passesover the insulated rail section 2 and completely onto the insulated railsection 3 thereby setting the signals and then comes to rest beforeclearing the insulated rail sections and subsequently backs out of theblock, the passage of the car off from the signal-setting insulated railsection 3 onto the signal-restoring insulated rail section 2 will causethe signal to be rev stored. This is accomplished as shown in Fig. 4,for when the car moving in the direction of the arrow at passes over thesignal restoring insulatedrail section 2 onto the signal-settinginsulated rail section 3, the controlling member will be in the positionshown in Fig. 3, and the contact 27 will close the contacts 28. At thistime the point or apex 50 between the notches 35 and 36 on the wing 33will be just above the roller 46 on the arm 37 and, therefore, if thecar backs off from the signal-setting rail section 3 onto thesignal-restoring rail section 2, the deenergizing of the magnet 5 andreenergizing of the magnet .4 will release the arm 38 and cause the arm37 to enter the deep notch 36, and as said notch is of a suflicientdepth to permit the armature 17 to swing a ufficient distance to closethe contact 20 onto the contacts 22. it follows that thesignal-restoring circuit will thus be closed thereby restoring thesignal.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is 1. In a block signal system, the combinationwith two magnets, of means for energizing said magnets, a switchoperated by each magnet, and means to lock each switch from being closedwhen its magnet is energized except when the other magnet has beenenergized immediately previously.

2. In a block signal system, the combination with two magnets, of meansfor energizing said magnets successively, a switch operated by eachmagnet, and means to lock each switch from closing when its magnet isenergized except when said magnet is energized immediately after theother magnet is energized.

3. In a block signal system, the combination with a track having twoinsulated rail sections arranged so that a car will pass over themsuccessively in entering a block, of a magnet associated with each railsection, means to energize each magnet as a car passes over thecorresponding insulated rail section, acontact member actuated by eachmagnet, a signal-setting circuit closed by the contact actuated by hemagnet associated with the second insulated rail section, a signal-restoring circuit closed by the other con tact, and means to locksaid latter contact from closing its circuit when its magnet isenergized except w 16D the other magnet has been energized immediatelypreviously.

4. In a block signal system, the combination with a normally-opensignal-setting circuit and a normally-open signal-closing circuit, of acontact member for each circuit for closing the same, a magnet foractuating each contact, means to lock each contact from closing itscircuit when its magnet is energized except when the other magnet hasbeen energized immediately previously.

In a block signal system, the combination with two magnets, of means forenergizing said magnets, a switch operated by each magnet, meansnormally locking each switch from operation when its magnet isenergized, and means operated by the immediate previous energizing ofthe other magnet to render said locking means inoperative.

6. In a block signal system, the combination with two magnets, of meansto ener-- gize each magnet, a switch operated by each magnet, acontroller normally locking each switch from operation when its magnetis energized but rendered inoperative as a look when the other magnethas been energized immediately previously.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, inthe presence of two subscribing witnesses.

LOUIS C. SMITH, THOMAS J. DRUMMOND.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

